Clearly, there is a mammoth difference between Christianity as Scripture describes and the Christian Universalist’s variation. And it is not simply a matter of preference; it is a matter of Scripture. “Anyone who affirms universalism has a problem with biblical authority and ultimately with Jesus, Peter and Paul,” says Daniel Akin, President of Southeastern Seminary and author of A Theology for the Church. “The Bible provides no theological support apart from special revelation, and nothing that would support the anonymous and eventual views. That is more the wistful musings of liberal theologians.”
Darrel Bock, New Testament scholar and author of Dethroning Jesus: Exposing Popular Culture’s Quest to Unseat the Biblical Christ, agrees with Akin that Universalism fails to understand the core message of the scriptures. “If a person says they embrace Jesus and the revelation from God about Him in the Bible, which is our only real access to what He taught, then to believe everyone is saved denies fundamental parts of Jesus’ message and warning,” he says.
Furthermore, Universalism is irreconcilable with many critical scriptural lynchpins. For example, if God will eventually save all, the New Testament’s emphasis on evangelism is confusing at best. More importantly, if Jesus’ life was simply a wonderful example of how we must live, the cross becomes unnecessary. “To believe everyone is saved denies fundamental parts of Jesus’ message and warning,” Bock says. “In many ways, it risks making the cross very irrelevant, as well as the message Jesus taught and commissioned the apostles to preach and write about to the world.”
And what of the doctrines of judgment and grace? According to Philip Gulley, author of If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person, the difference between universalism and Orthodoxy on these issues is not much. “I suspect the chief difference between my understanding of grace and the Orthodox understanding is one of degree,” he says. “I believe grace will ultimately triumph, working for the eternal good in all lives, while Orthodox theology believes that there are limits and boundaries in God’s love for us.”
But in reality, the chasm between Universalism and Christianity on judgment and grace is not one of degree but of definition. “What is amazing about grace is that it completely removes the huge debt of sin we rack up before God and transforms us into a new way of life where we can be what God created us to be, not simply go on as we were,” Bock says. “A savior who confronts me about the realities about myself and my utter need for God does me a favor. And I can love Him with all my heart because He has literally given me a new lease on life.”
Indeed, one must make several scriptural leapfrogs in order to arrive at Universal salvation. First, there is Jesus’ assertion that “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6, TNIV, emphasis added). Then, there was Paul’s statement that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). And 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ.” The list rolls on and on in support of one central truth: Salvation is attained only through faith in Jesus Christ.
Steve said:
I like the update. You address most of the concerns towards Universalism. I will say that I understand how they come to their conclusions, but that they leave gaping doctrinal holes when applied.
One of the biggest problems I see with heretical ideas (and I don't mean in the ideas themselves, but in how they are conceived) is in encapsulation. A group suddenly ignores the whole picture and only focuses on a few verses, or a few segments of the population. Suddenly, you can bridge a few assumptions together into something that could potentially destroy the effectiveness of thousands if not geometrically more Christians.
Thank you for this series.
Posted: November 17, 2009
Kimberly Warren said:
Do you see a variation of this doctrine in some Christian denominations: the belief that someone can be saved without consciously knowing it? I believe I've heard this in some Catholic interpretations; that the reason they put an emphasis on good works is because that is the evidence of salvation, even if the individual isn't consciously aware of that salvation (kind of the distinction between the mind and the spirit; that the spirit can be born again by the will of God even without the person understanding that salvation with their minds--but that the "good works" are evidence of it).
If anyone reads this, I believe salvation is through Christ alone, John 14:6 : ).
Posted: November 17, 2009
Blake said:
Jonathan,
Was your intent to provide logical argument against general universalism or to show necessarily it's incompatibility in any form with Christianity? In your two posts on the subject you have yet to say anything that the Christian universalists I've met would disagree with or discredit their universalism/Christianity. Our enemies are more clever and insidious than you portray.
Posted: November 17, 2009
Jonathan Merritt said:
Blake,
Good question. I began the article as a journalistic piece. I wanted to tell the story about what's going on from the perspective of those in this movement. Then, I wanted to offer the Biblical answer. In part three, I wanted to speak directly to Christians from a position of historic orthodoxy to sympathize with the difficulties of our faith's teachings on exclusivity while offering encouragement about why that makes salvation so beautiful.
Thanks for the question. Hope this answers it.
Jm
Posted: November 19, 2009
Dave said:
Blake, who are your enemies? Anyone that disagrees with your view?
Posted: November 19, 2009
Blake said:
Dave,
Hardly. The enemies of all Christians are false teachers and heretics. In the context of this discussion it is the universalists that fit the description of false teachers and heretics.
Posted: November 24, 2009